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In her two interviews with Martha Williams on August 1975 and Steve McKnight on April 30, 1981, Arnetta Gladden Mackey shares her experience coming to Winthrop as one of the first black students after the school integrated. Mackey recalls the reaction she received from students, faculty, and members of the Rock Hill community. Mackey finally lends her answer to the question of whether or not she would do it all over again. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.

This site is home to many hands-on, ready-to-use science lessons and activities, which explore nature and energy. It is aimed at classroom teachers who are more likely to attack one lesson at a time, so the lessons have been rearranged by topic. It includes lesson plans, background knowledge, a materials list, and student handouts. The learning objectives have been tailored to Oregon and Washington curriculum goals. It has many topics: Group Dynamics, Scientific Method, Measurement, Surface tension, Density; Newton's Laws of Motion; States of Matter; Power; Biology, which contains few lessons that familiarize students with hydroponics, microorganisms, and capillary action in plants. Other topics are Bernoulli's Principle; Water, which includes watersheds, ways of testing water quality, water conservation, and the water cycle. Also, topics include Geology, explaining plate tectonics, continental drift, and volcanoes. Ecology explaining types of wildlife, the food web, preservation, plant classification, pollution, recycling, acid rain, and smoking. The site includes Native American philosophies, a summary adapted from the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Wildlife Curriculum, 1992, that provides an excellent cross-curricular lesson that ties the science to the many issues related to rivers, energy, wildlife, and Native American rights and philosophies. The site contains a glossary of terms that are used throughout these science lessons. Educational levels: Intermediate elementary, Middle school

International concern for declining bird species figured prominently in the formation of many ornithological, conservation and scientific organisations across the globe in the late 19th Century, including the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union (now BirdLife Australia; Robin Citation2001). However, despite concerns about the rarity of some species being expressed repeatedly in the early years of the Union (e.g. Ashby Citation 1924), little action was taken to prevent extinctions. . . .

Monitoring is vital to conservation, enabling conservation scientists to detect population declines, identify threats and measure the effectiveness of interventions. However, not all threatened taxa are monitored, monitoring quality is variable, and the various components of monitoring are likely to differ in their rates of improvement over time. We assessed the presence of monitoring and monitoring quality, using a range of metrics, for all Australia’s threatened bird taxa from 1990 to 2020 (four assessments spanning 30 years). We used our assessments to understand decadal trends in the number of taxa monitored; monitoring quality; and the groups that conduct monitoring. The monitoring of Australia’s threatened birds has increased substantially since 1990, from 19% of taxa to 75% in 2020. Monitoring quality has also improved, with 24.1% of taxa assessed overall as ‘Good’ or ‘Very Good’ in 2020 (up from 4.8% in 1990). However, by 2020, most monitoring programmes still scored poorly for Data availability/reporting, Management linkage, Demographic data and Training/succession planning. In 2020, private individuals and governments accounted for 59% of monitoring contributions, with the greatest number of taxa monitored by private individuals (79 of 166 taxa assessed). Despite improvements in monitoring since 1990, only a minority of taxa had high-quality monitoring in the most recent assessment period. Monitoring is a powerful tool in conservation, justifying investment in improving how it is conducted. We draw on our results and examples of high-quality monitoring programmes to develop a set of priority actions to improve monitoring of Australia’s threatened birds.

Mediterranean forest ecosystems will be increasingly affected by hotter drought and more frequent and severe wildfire events in the future. However, little is known about the longer-term responses of these forests to multiple disturbances and the forests' capacity to maintain ecosystem function. This is particularly so for below-ground organisms, which have received less attention than those above-ground, despite their essential contributions to forest function. We investigated rhizosphere microbial communities in a resprouting Eucalyptus marginata forest, southwestern Australia, that had experienced a severe wildfire four years previously, and a hotter drought eight years previously. Our aim was to understand how microbial communities are affected over longer-term trajectories by hotter drought and wildfire, singularly, and in combination. Fungal and bacterial DNA was extracted from soil samples, amplified, and subjected to high throughput sequencing. Richness, diversity, composition, and putative functional groups were then examined. We found a monotonic decrease in fungal, but not bacterial, richness and diversity with increasing disturbance with the greatest changes resulting from the combination of drought and wildfire. Overall fungal and bacterial community composition reflected a stronger effect of fire than drought, but the combination of both produced the greatest number of indicator taxa for fungi, and a significant negative effect on the abundance of several fungal functional groups. Key mycorrhizal fungi, fungal saprotrophs and fungal pathogens were found at lower proportions in sites affected by drought plus wildfire. Wildfire had a positive effect on bacterial hydrogen and bacterial nitrogen recyclers. Fungal community composition was positively correlated with live tree height. These results suggest that microbial communities, in particular key fungal functional groups, are highly responsive to wildfire following drought. Thus, a legacy of past climat

Notes on the rise of mycotopianism; or, EXPLAIN MUSHROOMS TO ME OR I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!, https://www.librarystack.org/sporecore/?ref=unknown

This paper focuses on physiological integration in multicellular systems, a notion often associated with biological individuality, but which has not received enough attention and needs a thorough theoretical treatment. Broadly speaking, physiological integration consists in how different components come together into a cohesive unit in which they are dependent on one another for their existence and activity. This paper argues that physiological integration can be understood by considering how the components of a biological multicellular system are controlled and coordinated in such a way that their activities can contribute to the maintenance of the system. The main implication of this perspective is that different ways of controlling their parts may give rise to multicellular organizations with different degrees of integration. After defining control, this paper analyses how control is realized in two examples of multicellular systems located at different ends of the spectrum of multicellularity: biofilms and animals. It focuses on differences in control ranges, and it argues that a high degree of integration implies control exerted at both medium and long ranges, and that insofar as biofilms lack long-range control (relative to their size) they can be considered as less integrated than other multicellular systems. It then discusses the implication of this account for the debate on physiological individuality and the idea that degrees of physiological integration imply degrees of individuality.

The view of organelles and how they operate together has changed dramatically over the last two decades. The textbook view of organelles was that they operated largely independently and were connected by vesicular trafficking and the diffusion of signals through the cytoplasm. We now know that all organelles make functional close contacts with one another, often called membrane contact sites. The study of these sites has moved to center stage in cell biology as it has become clear that they play critical roles in healthy and developing cells and during cell stress and disease states. Contact sites have important roles in intracellular signaling, lipid metabolism, motor-protein-mediated membrane dynamics, organelle division, and organelle biogenesis. Here, we summarize the major conceptual changes that have occurred in cell biology as we have come to appreciate how contact sites integrate the activities of organelles.

Objective Diabetes is frequently linked with depression, and both conditions are common complications during pregnancy. However, research findings exploring the relationship between diabetes mellitus in pregnancy (DMP) and perinatal depression (PND) have been inconsistent. Thus, this study seeks to examine the association between DMP and PND in a prospective population-based cohort. Methods Women aged 18 to 48 years (n = 4459) were identified from the Biology, Affect, Stress, Imaging and Cognition study. The diagnosis of DMP was based on International Classification of Diseases code O24 from medical records and was classified as pregestational, gestational, or unspecified diabetes. PND was assessed using psychometric instruments, clinical interviews, and/or register data and categorized into antepartum or postpartum depression. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to study the associations of DMP with antepartum and postpartum depression. The association between DMP and continuous depression scores, antepartum and postpartum, was investigated with multivariable linear regressions. Results Of 4459 pregnancies, 949 women had antepartum depression (21.2%) and 1123 had postpartum depression (25%). DMP had a prevalence of 1.2%. Women with DMP had twofold higher odds for postpartum depression compared with women without DMP. Although no association was observed between DMP and antepartum depression, DMP was associated with higher antepartum depression scores. Conclusions Our study shows an association between DMP and PND, which might be considered a risk factor when screening for high-risk groups.

Microbes support all life forms of the biosphere, contributing to nutrient cycling and climate regulation, with crucial roles in primary production, food production, and planetary health (Anthony et al., 2023). . . .

The water-lily clade represents the second earliest-diverging branch of angiosperms. Most of its species belong to Nymphaeaceae, of which the “core Nymphaeaceae”—comprising the genera Euryale, Nymphaea and Victoria—is the most diverse clade. Despite previous molecular phylogenetic studies on the core Nymphaeaceae, various aspects of their evolutionary relationships have remained unresolved. The length-variable introns and intergenic spacers are known to contain most of the sequence variability within the water-lily plastomes. Despite the challenges with multiple sequence alignment, any new molecular phylogenetic investigation on the core Nymphaeaceae should focus on these noncoding plastome regions. For example, a new plastid phylogenomic study on the core Nymphaeaceae should generate DNA sequence alignments of all plastid introns and intergenic spacers based on the principle of conserved sequence motifs. In this investigation, we revisit the phylogenetic history of the core Nymphaeaceae by employing such an approach. Specifically, we use a plastid phylogenomic analysis strategy in which all coding and noncoding partitions are separated and then undergo software-driven DNA sequence alignment, followed by a motif-based alignment inspection and adjustment. This approach allows us to increase the reliability of the character base compared to the default practice of aligning complete plastomes through software algorithms alone. Our approach produces significantly different phylogenetic tree reconstructions for several of the plastome regions under study. The results of these reconstructions underscore that Nymphaea is paraphyletic in its current circumscription, that each of the five subgenera of Nymphaea is monophyletic, and that the subgenus Nymphaea is sister to all other subgenera of Nymphaea. Our results also clarify many evolutionary relationships within the Nymphaea subgenera Brachyceras, Hydrocallis and Nymphaea. In closing, we discuss whether the phylogeneti

Syftet med denna studie är att belysa vilken potential varierad undervisning genom multimodaliteterna bild, ljud, film och rörelse har i det naturorienterande klassrummet för elever och lärare på lågstadiet vid undervisning om cirkulationssystemet. Studien utgick från en varierad lektionsserie om cirkulationssystemet varefter eleverna fick fylla i en enkät för att beskriva vilken undervisningsmetod som var roligast respektive mest lärorik. De fick skriva vad som var bra och dåligt med respektive undervisningsmetod. Därefter genomfördes semistrukturerade kvalitativa intervjuer med 14 elever och två lärare. Resultatet som denna studie genererade utifrån ett lärarperspektiv var att varierad undervisning och multimodala undervisningsmetoder är en del av skolans kompensatoriska uppdrag. Det är alltså ett sätt att stötta elever som behöver extra stöd eller alternativa sätt att lära sig. Lärarna ansåg att det fanns en stor mängd material, så som lektionsplaneringar och idéer, och att detta inte var ett problem, utan fokuset måste ligga vid hur man arbetar med det existerande material som finns. Eleverna var generellt sett positivt inställda till alla inkluderade undervisningsmetoder men ansåg att den roligaste undervisningsmetoden var film och att de lärde sig mest av att röra på kroppen. De kännetecken som kunde urskiljas för elevernas engagemang i undervisningen var aktivt deltagande, variation i undervisningen och lustfylldhet., The purpose of this study is to highlight the potential of varied teaching through the multimodalities of image, sound, movies, and movement in the science classroom for pupilsand teachers at the primary level, when teaching about the circulatory system. The study was based on a varied lesson series about the circulatory system, after which the students got to fill out a questionnaire to describe which teaching method was the most enjoyable and the most educative. They also got to write what was good and bad about each respective teaching method. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were then conducted with 14 pupils and two teachers. The result that this study generated from a teacher's perspective was that varied teaching and multimodal teaching methods are part of the school's compensatory mission. It is thus a way of supporting students in need of extra support or alternative ways of learning. The teachers felt that there was a broad range of material, such as lesson plans and ideas, and that this was not an issue, but the focus must be on how to work with the existing material that is available. The students were generally positive regarding each included teaching methods but felt that the most enjoyable teaching method was movies and that they learned the most from moving their bodies. The characteristics that could be distinguished for the students' investment in the education were active participation, variety in the teaching and amusement.

The aim of my study is to elucidate biology teachers’ interpretations of the curriculum and syllabus, as well as their implementation of these in teaching stress within the subject of biology. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data, allowing flexibility in questioning and adaptation to respondents' answers. Six biology teachers located within the same geographical area were selected as informants. Interviews were conducted via video or in-person meetings. Transcription and analysis were performed using content analysis to systematically categorize and interpret interview data. Validity and reliability were ensured through careful planning and execution of interviews. Ethical aspects were addressed through consent and anonymization of participants. Biology teachers’ interpretations of the curriculum regarding stress varied. Some felt that the curriculum does not sufficiently mention stress. Others linked it to overarching goals of health. There seemed to be a consensus on interpreting stress as relevant subject matter, particularly within the core content. The implementation of stress education differed among teachers. Some sporadically included the topic in their biology teaching, while others integrated it more systematically. The interviewed teachers believed that discussion and collaboration regarding the interpretation of the curriculum and syllabus on the theme of stress were limited. Many followed the national exams as guidance. Others lacked clear guidelines for implementation. Lack of training and time were identified as obstacles to teaching about stress. Opportunities that emerged included collaboration with other subjects, such as physical education. Despite challenges, teachers emphasized the importance of equitable teaching and open communication among colleagues.Conclusions from the study, combined with previous research and theory, suggest that school priorities and societal developments influence teachers’ ability to integrate stress ma

This study explores the impact of Augmented Reality (AR) on the retention and comprehension of complex biological systems and processes in middle school education. Leveraging a quasi-experimental design, the research compared the learning outcomes of students using AR with those taught through traditional methods. The study's theoretical framework is grounded in multimodality theory, highlighting the integration of multiple senses and representation forms to enhance learning, as well as cognitive and constructivist learning theories, which emphasize the organization and application of knowledge. A total of 35 students participated, with the AR group engaging with interactive, three-dimensional models of human anatomy, while the control group received traditional teaching. The results indicate that AR can improve students’ ability to understand and engage with complex biological content, supporting higher cognitive processes such as analysis andcreation. However, the study also notes the limitations due to its small sample size and the diversity of the participant group, suggesting the results are preliminary. Future research should expand on these findings with a larger, more diverse sample to explore long-term effects and variances across different learning styles. This study underscores the potential of AR to transform biology education by making learning more interactive and accessible., Denna studie utforskar effekten av förstärkt verklighet (AR) på bevarandet och förståelsen av komplexa biologiska system och processer i grundskolans utbildning. Med hjälp av en kvasiexperimentell design jämförde studien inlärningsresultaten hos studenter som använde AR med dem som undervisades genom traditionella metoder. Studiens teoretiska ramverk är grundat i teorin om multimodalitet, vilket betonar integrationen av flera sinnen och representationsformer för att förbättra inlärningen, samt kognitiva och konstruktivistiska lärandeteorier, som lägger vikt vid organisation och tillämpning av kunskap. Totalt deltog 35 studenter, där AR-gruppen interagerade med interaktiva, tredimensionella modeller av människokroppens anatomi, medan kontrollgruppen fick traditionell undervisning. Resultaten tyder på att AR kan förbättra elevernas förmåga att förstå och engagera sig i komplex biologiskt innehåll, vilket stödjer högre kognitiva processer såsom analys och skapande. Studien noterar dock begränsningar på grund av dess lilla urvalsstorlek och deltagargruppens mångfald, vilket tyder på att resultaten är preliminära. Framtida forskning bör bygga vidare på dessa resultat med ett större och mer mångsidigt urval för att utforska långsiktiga effekter och variationer över olika inlärningsstilar. Denna studie understryker potentialen hos AR att omvandla biologiundervisningen genom att göra lärandet mer interaktivt och tillgängligt.

Tidigare forskning indikerar att förskolans undervisning i naturvetenskap ofta beskrivs som utmanande, samt att kvaliteten påverkas av de olika förskole pedagogernas intresse och kunskap. Detta är något som den här studien avser att utmana. Inom Reggio Emilia pedagogiken är projekterande arbetssättet och idén om barns 100 språkighet centrala i all undervisning, men frågan jag därför ställt mig är vad detta kan innebära i praktiken. Denna studie syftar därför till att ge ett exempel på hur ett projekterande arbetssätt i förskolan kan bidra tillbiologiundervisningen. Projektet som studerats handlar om farliga vattenlevande djur. Fem förskole pedagoger intervjuades om sitt pågående projekt. I studien har jag valt ett teoretiskt ramverk baserat dels på Reggio Emilia-pedagogik dels en modell som möjliggör analys av didaktiska intentioner.Resultatet pekar på att det projekterande arbetssättet möjliggör undervisning som fördjupar barnens kunskaper i biologi oberoende av pedagogernas förkunskaper. En nyckelaspekt i undervisning i naturvetenskap är begreppsliggörande och hur fakta verifieras, vilket resultatet pekar på att denna metod möjliggör. Resultat visar vidare att barnen ges möjlighet att utveckla, bekräfta och kommunicera det de lär sig genom att använda en mängd olika uttryckssätt., Previous research indicates that preschool teaching in science often is described as challenging, and that the quality is affected by the preschool pedagogues’ interest and knowledge about the subject. This is something this study can challenge. Within Reggio Emilia pedagogy, projecting methods and the idea of children’s 100 languages are central in all teaching, but a question therefore put forward is what this means in practice. This study therefore aims to provide an example on a projecting working method in preschool that focus on biology as a subject, more precisely about dangerous water living animals.Five preschool pedagogues were interviewed about their ongoing project. In the study I have a theoretical framework based on Reggio Emilia pedagogy and a model that enable an analysis of didactic intentions.The result implies that the use of projecting working method opens for teaching that deepen the children’s knowledge in biology independently the pedagogues own prior knowledge. A key aspect in science education is to conceptualizeand verify facts, which this working method enable. The result further show that the children are given the opportunity to elaborate, confirm and communicate what they learn with a multitude of ways to express themselves

Syftet med studien är att belysa biologiundervisningens karaktär i förskolans undervisningsverksamhet utifrån förskollärararnas uppfattningar. Detta görs genom frågeställningarna; Vilket innehåll behandlas inom biologiundervisningen i förskolan, utifrån förskollärarnas uppfattningar? Vilka undervisningsstrategier används i biologiundervisningen i förskolan, utifrån förskollärarnas uppfattningar? Vilket syfte får biologiundervisningen i förskolan, utifrån förskollärarnas uppfattningar? Studien tar sin utgångspunkt i att belysa biologi som ämnesområde då det inte framställs explicit i förskolans Läroplan Lpfö 18, trots att innehållet behandlar biologi. Biologiundervisningen i förskolan undersöktes via ett didaktiskt ramverk, där intervjuerna grundades i frågorna vad, hur och varför. I studien samlades data in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med sju verksamma förskollärare. Data analyserades med inspiration av en tematisk analysmetod. Resultatet visar att biologi inte framställs som ett eget ämnesområde utan integreras i övrig undervisning. Det framkommer att biologi som ämne upplevs som ett brett ämne och benämns som naturvetenskap. Resultatet visar att människokroppen, djur och hållbar utveckling är innehåll som berörs inom biologiundervisningen. De undervsiningsstrategier som blir framträdande inom dessa teman är planerad och spontan undervisning samt tillämpande av olika verktyg. Resultatet visar att biologiundervisning bedrivs i syfte av att öka barnens medvetenhet i biologi samt att uppnå läroplanens mål., The purpose of this study is to illuminate the nature of biology education within the instructional activities of preschools, from the preschool teachers’ perceptions, through the questions; What content is covered in biology education in preschool? What teaching strategies are used in biology education in preschool? What is the purpose of teaching biology in preschool? The study is focusing on highlighting biology as a subject area, given that it’s not explicitly presented in the preschool curriculum Lpfö 18, despite the content addressing biology. This evokes the question of how a preschool teacher should approach teaching content which is not clearly presented. In this study, preschool biology education is viewed through a didactic framework, where the interviews were based on the questions what, how, and why. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with seven active preschool teachers. The data was analyzed using a thematic analysis methodology. The findings indicate that biology is not portrayed as a distinct subject area but is rather integrated into the overall curriculum. It’s observed that biology is perceived as broad and emphasized as a natural science.The results show that the human body, animals, and sustainable development are areas of study addressed within biology education. The teaching strategies that emerge within these themes are planned and spontaneous lessons, and application of various tools. The results indicate that biology education is conducted with the purpose of increasing children's awareness in biology and achieving the goals of the curriculum.

In Sweden, food-related education is vaguely incorporated in several mandatory high school subjects but not much is known about how it is incorporated in the biology and natural science subjects. This study aimed to understand how Swedish high school biology and natural science teachers approach and contribute to food-related education within and across subjects. This study follows an explorative case-study approach. Biology and natural science high school teachers (n=10) were recruited for this study. A total of four teachers participated in individual semi-structured interviews. All teachers taught natural sciences, three also taught physical education and a fourth teacher also taught biology and chemistry. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim using Microsoft Word, and analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis. The analysis resulted in three major themes: teachers learning objectives in food-related education, teachers’ choice of didactics and cross-curricular teaching. The main findings were that the teachers approached food-related education broadly and had, more or less, the same learning objectives within and across subjects. The teachers expressed varying degrees of collaboration across subjects depending on which subjects they, themselves, were teaching. The teachers all faced challenges regarding dealing with the matter of eating disorders and social media influence which they tackled with various didactical strategies. Numerous factors stand in the way of cross-curricular teaching for food-related education in Sweden, such as time constraints and unclear learning objectives. Several changes are to be made to improve food-related education, Swedish adolescents' nutrition literacy and thereby improve the populations nutritional intake.

Föreliggande studie utgår från ett fenomenografiskt perspektiv med syfte att synliggöra förskollärares uppfattningar och tolkningar av förskolans läroplans mål Lpfö18 om biologi, i arbete med de yngsta barnen 1–3 år. Studien genomfördes genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med fyra förskollärare på tre olika förskolor. Tidigare forskning menar att biologi kan vara ett svårdefinierat ämne och att det är komplext. Däremot visar resultatet av föreliggande studie att förskollärare arbetar med olika delar av biologi hela tiden. De menar att biologi handlar om att följa barnen i deras intressen, samspela med dem och att i kommunikation dela med sig av sina kunskaper och ta vara på barns nyfikenhet. Resultatet visar sig även i förskollärarnas uppfattningar om biologi i förskolan som handlar om begreppsanvändning, frågor och diskussioner i vardagliga situationer. Olika uppfattningar om hur läroplanen används som stöd inom undervisning visar sig grunda sig i det egna uttryckta intresset och samspel med kollegor., This study is based on a phenomenographic perspective with the aim to show preschool teachers' perceptions and interpretations of the preschool curriculum's goal Lpfö18 of biology, in work with the youngest children 1–3 years old. This study was conducted through semi-structured interviews with four preschool teachers at three different preschools. Previous research suggests that biology can be a difficult subject to define and that it is complex. However, the results of this study show that the preschool teachers work with different parts of biology all the time. They mean that biology is about following the children in their interests, interacting with them and sharing knowledge in communication and taking advantadge of the childrens curiosity. The results also show that the preschool teachers' perceptions of biology in preschool concern the use of concepts, questions and discussions in everyday situations. Different perceptions of how the curriculum is used as support in teaching resulted in the expressed personal interest and in interactions with colleagues.

The purpose of the study is to contribute to knowledge about educators' perceptions of biology teaching in the preschool's outdoor environment. The study focuses on educators’ perceptions of biology teaching, biology teaching in the outdoor environment and perceptions of how it can contribute to children's learning. The study is based on John Dewey’s pragmatic learning theory and the didactic questions of what, where, how and why. The study was conducted through a survey in which 44 active preschool educators participated. The educators work work as preschool teachers, principals and special education teachers. The result shows that educators have perceptions of biology teaching that takes place in the outdoor environment contributes that the children gets to take part in several of the curriculum's goals. Therefore, this is assumed to promote the children’s learning and development. The children gets to use all of their senses, experience practically and not only theoretically, and when they learn about their environment, it contributes to them having a further good attitude and approach against our society and the world around them, according to the educators perceptions. The result also showed educators perceptions and awareness of being present and in biology teaching so that the children can acquire knowledge about the subject. The perceptions describes that if educators make the content connected to biology visible so the children can pay attention to it and in a fun and meaningful way get to conquer knowledge in the subject., Syftet med studien är att bidra med kunskap om pedagogers uppfattningarkring biologiundervisning i förskolans utomhusmiljö. Studien fokuserar påvilka uppfattningar pedagoger har om biologiundervisning,biologiundervisning i utomhusmiljön samt uppfattningar kring hur det kanbidra till barnens lärande. Studien utgår ifrån John Dewey’s pragmatiska lärteori och de didaktiskafrågorna vad, var, hur samt varför. Studien genomfördes med hjälp av enenkätundersökning där 44 verksamma pedagoger inom förskolansverksamhet deltog. Pedagogerna arbetar som förskollärare, barnskötare,rektorer och specialpedagoger. I resultatet framkommer pedagogers uppfattningar om attbiologiundervisning som sker i utomhusmiljön bidrar till att barnen får ta delav flera av läroplanens mål och antas därför främja barnens lärande ochutveckling. Barnen får använda sig av alla sina sinnen, uppleva praktiskt ochinte enbart teoretiskt samt att när de lär om sin natur bidrar det till att de fåren vidare bra inställning samt förhållningssätt mot vårt samhälle ochomvärld, uppfattar pedagogerna. Resultatet visade även pedagogers uppfattningar och medvetenhet om att varanärvarande och engagerad vid biologiundervisning för att barnen då skakunna inhämta kunskaper om ämnet. Uppfattningarna beskriver att ompedagogerna synliggör innehållet kopplat till biologi så kan barnenuppmärksamma det och på ett roligt och meningsfullt sätt få erövrakunskaper inom ämnet

According to the Swedish school law, pupils should have the possibility to influence their education – both in learning methods and content. However many teachers find it hard to operationalize the pupils’ influence in their teaching. The motive for this study was therefore to explore how pupils’ influence can be incorporated in education in relation to subject traditions, here exemplified in the discipline of biology. The data was analysed from a sociocultural perspective by using a model of the didactical triangle for natural sciences. Inclusive methods for pupils’ influence in biology was also used as an analytical tool. The analysed material was derived from interviews with nine pupils and five teachers and was categorized using an abductive thematic method. The results demonstrate that pupils’ influence was strongly expressed in the relationship between the pupils and their teachers. However, in the relationship between the pupils and the biology content it was considerably less expressed. Teaching traditions in biology are often textbook oriented and tend to affect the teacher’s possibilities for allowing pupils’ influence. Methods for pupils’ influence in biology can include more diversified and interactive teaching practises. Using modelleling is another possibility which liberate the biology content and provides examples for influencing biology education.

Phylogenetic trees, diagrams depicting hypothesized evolutionary relationships between taxa, are used in a widely across multiple biology subdisciplines. Being able to read these diagrams is therefore a crucial step in achieving expertise in biology. Tree-thinking, however, has been found to be quite difficult, especially given the abstract nature of the diagram and its reference to directly unobservable macroscopic biological phenomena. The biology education literature, therefore, has dedicated some effort into investigating the ways in which tree-thinking might be improved in undergraduates. While these investigations have been fruitful, they have not yet included a systematic examination of expertise in comparison to novices in order to fully characterize the skills and conceptions required for tree- thinking. They also have not yet examined the concept at the root of tree-thinking: relatedness understanding. To remedy these issues, I conducted a study employing expert and novice framing of relatedness understanding. I also draw upon cognitive metaphor and Prototype Theory to inform this study which has not yet been employed by the tree-thinking community. I attempted to characterize the everyday ways individuals categorize and identify organisms and how they might differ by experience. I conducted a series of clinical interviews with 29 individuals: 11 experts and 18 novice undergraduate students. Participants grouped organisms from photos and were asked to explain and draw their reasoning. I analyzed the resultant transcripts and artefacts using Grounded Theory. Three primary components of relatedness understanding were apparent in all participants: structural metaphor, grouping strategy, and grouping criteria. Structural metaphor refers largely to spatial conceptual metaphors describing the arrangement of taxa. Grouping strategy refers to group membership determination while grouping criteria refers to the properties used with strategies to determine group ide

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders affecting people with HIV (PWH). Many studies show the prevalence of this disorder to be substantially higher in PWH than in the general population. Recent research has attributed the development of depressive-like symptoms to the dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the body’s main stress response system. In this study, we investigated the potential role of the HPA axis in contributing to the development of depression in PWH. To do this, we semi-quantified FKBP51, microglial marker Iba1, and the serotonin transporter (SERT) in post-mortem tissues of PWH with and without MDD through immunohistochemistry analysis using positive cell detection and signal intensity quantification in QuPath and ImageJ. HIV-positive (HIV+) individuals with MDD showed a downregulation of FKBP51 expression in the frontal cortex, hippocampus, and midbrain relative to their MDD-negative (MDD-) counterparts. No significant differences in the levels of Iba1 or SERT were found in any brain region stained. How the downregulation of FKBP51 is associated with the development of MDD in PWH needs to be further studied.

The rhomboid protein superfamily has been implicated in many important cellular functions including growth factor signaling, protein quality control, mitochondrial homeostasis, and parasite invasion. There are two primary subclasses of the rhomboid superfamily: rhomboid proteases, intramembrane serine proteases that cleave misfolded membrane proteins, and rhomboid pseudoproteases, catalytically inactive proteases. The disposal of misfolded proteins is essential as the accumulation of misfolded proteins causes aggregation, which can become precursors for many neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Two protein quality control pathways associated with the rhomboid proteins help alleviate this cellular stress, 1) Endoplasmic Reticulum Associated Degradation (ERAD) degrades misfolded proteins while, 2) chaperones reconfigure the folding of misfolded proteins. Dfm1, a yeast rhomboid pseudoprotease, is essential in the degradation of misfolded membrane proteins through ERAD in yeast and regulates sphingolipid homeostasis. Additionally, RHBDL4, a mammalian rhomboid protease, is implicated in breast cancer progression with increased RHBDL4 activity resulting in decreased apoptosis and increased proliferation of breast cancer cells. This thesis describes our original research in further characterizing the function of the rhomboid proteins Dfm1 and RHBDL4. Dfm1, a yeast rhomboid pseudoprotease, is essential in the degradation of misfolded membrane proteins through ERAD in yeast. We establish that Dfm1 has a chaperone-like activity independent from Dfm1’s retrotranslocation role in ERAD. Additionally, we establish another independent and novel role of Dfm1 in the sphingolipid biosynthesis pathway. Here, Dfm1 facilitates sphingolipid homeostasis by exporting phosphorylated Orm2 from the ER which results in the degradation of Orm2 through Endosome and Golgi-Associated Degradation (EGAD). We have also begun to establish a novel in vivo split nano-luciferase assay to interrogate th

Epistemological beliefs have long been a focus within the field of education research. Historically, having more complex epistemological beliefs has been associated with improved academic performance. However, the majority of epistemology studies have either focused on performance in single classes or holistic measures of performance, such as GPA. There is limited knowledge of the consistency with which epistemic beliefs are rewarded in the classroom setting across multiple different classes. This study examines whether the same epistemic beliefs are rewarded in three different classes: an upper division biology class, a lower division biology class, and a lower division chemistry class. The results of our analysis suggest that the same beliefs are not rewarded across these three classes; these results indicate that more research needs to be done into epistemic consistency across different classes. Additionally, these results reveal epistemic flexibility as a promising non-cognitive indicator of student success that is worth further investigation.

Antibodies are widely used in various research applications, generally used to detect a protein of interest. The SETD5 gene is implicated in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) but published literature is in disagreement on the molecular role of the SETD5 protein. Aiming to understand the molecular role in our systems, we used a polyclonal SETD5 antibody from Invitrogen by ThermoFisher Scientific (PA-53718) listed as approved for use in western blotting. Our SETD5 western blotting results showed multiple bands, including one that was in agreement with the predicted size of SETD5, 150 kDa, and another band at 60 kDa, that was concordant with the protein defined by ThermoFisher as a correct SETD5 band. In my correspondence with ThermoFisher, they were not able to provide adequate clarification on this inconsistency, and our effort prompted their leadership to remove the antibody from their website and catalog. This experience provided an example of the limitations with current antibody-based approaches such as western blotting or other protein quantification tools. To overcome this challenge, we are developing a novel protein quantification method called western-seq where the qualitative size information of western blotting is merged with quantitative DNA sequencing data, using antibodies that are conjugated to oligonucleotides. I focused on identifying optimal conditions for using conjugated antibodies. I identified a specific lysis buffer, sonication conditions, and single stranded binding protein (SSB) improved the signal to noise ratio when using conjugated antibodies for western blots. The western-seq system was first validated using a small set of conjugated antibodies with recombinant protein complexes, and then tested in HEK293 cells. We noticed that direct PCR amplification of membrane pieces provided the optimal conditions for generating sequencing libraries. Western-seq works as a functional protein quantification technique, and further optimization will enable

Insulin resistance is implicated in multiple prevalent metabolic disorders, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and fatty liver disease. While genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been employed to identify genes associated with insulin resistance, the difficulty in measuring insulin resistance has led to limited sample sizes and reduced statistical power in previous GWAS studies. Conducting an expansive GWAS with a large sample size is essential to identify novel insulin resistance genes. The triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein ratio (TG/HDL) demonstrates a high correlation with insulin resistance phenotypes and is available in large cohorts, making it a potential surrogate marker for insulin resistance. Performing a GWAS of TG/HDL on 382,129 individuals in the UK Biobank, we identified 251 genomic risk loci, among which 62 displayed heightened significance compared to individual markers (TG or HDL), suggesting them as potential insulin resistance loci. We developed a systematic approach for the comprehensive analysis of these loci, prioritizing those that remain undiscovered and exhibit differential associations across different sexes. Through this analysis, we highlighted TNFAIP8, a gene involved in the regulation of apoptosis and immune responses, as a novel sex-dimorphic factor influencing insulin resistance. Our findings contribute to the genetic understanding of insulin resistance and identify potential sex-specific genes as therapeutic targets.

Proper contractile function of the heart requires the balance between energy demand and supply to be constantly maintained. This balance is disrupted by ischemia-reperfusion and leads to cardiac functional defects. Perm1 is a novel protein mainly expressed in skeletal and cardiac muscle and interacts with mitochondrial biogenesis encoding genes. Overexpression of Perm1 reduces cardiomyocyte damage and death following hypoxia-reoxygenation. However, the mechanism of Perm1 function remains unclear. We utilized Perm1 overexpression in transgenic mice to evaluate the alterations in protein expression of various mitochondrial and cellular proteins in response to ischemia-reperfusion. We demonstrated that Perm1 overexpressed hearts did not affect cardiac mass and function at baseline and reduced infarct size upon global ischemia-reperfusion. Further experimentation is needed to verify my results and investigate Perm1 association with other processes of mitochondrial bioenergetics, mitochondrial dynamics, and apoptotic signaling.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) has major societal impact and few utilized treatments. New molecular targets with therapeutic potential and better understanding of the neurobiology of AUD are needed. Chronic ethanol exposure and consumption can lead to neurobiological changes in the brain’s reward and motivation systems that are viewed as that perpetuate harmful drinking. The development of compulsive drinking putatively involves a shift in striatal control from the NAc to the dorsomedial and then dorsolateral striatum as well as an imbalance between the dopamine receptor D1-direct and D2-indirect medium spiny neuron (MSN) pathways, whereby overactive dMSNs increase ethanol seeking and drinking behavior and underactive iMSNs putatively reduce inhibitory self-regulation. PDE10A is an enzyme of the phosphodiesterase enzyme family, a class of enzymes that regulate cellular responses by hydrolyzing cAMP/cGMP. PDE10A appears to encode the main PDE isoforms that control cAMP and cGMP levels of MSNs in the striatum, and the majority of PDE10A in the mouse striatum is the membrane-enriched PDE10A2 isoform. Recent studies suggest that inhibition of PDE10A family isoforms with different selective inhibitors can reduce alcohol selfadministration in models of excessive or dependent intake, which has raised interest in PDE10A inhibitors as potential treatments for AUD. AMG 579 is a small molecule potent, selective PDE10A inhibitor that recently showed promise for its drug-like physiochemical properties (e.g., lipophilic efficiency) and ability to dose-dependently reduce ethanol consumption in rats. However, it is unknown how AMG 579 alters activation of striatal D1-direct and D2-indirect MSN pathways at doses that are considered effective to reduce drinking as well as whether there is regional variation or sex differences in these effects. There also is uncertainty as to the specific role of the PDE10A2 isoform in the anti-drinking or molecular actions of PDE10A inhibitors like AMG 5

The current rate of acquired antibiotic resistance (AR) in bacterial pathogens is projected to cause 10 million deaths per year and result in a global cost of up to 100 trillion USD by 2050. It is therefore urgent that we develop new therapies that target pathogen-specific virulence factors (i.e.-microbial genes required to cause disease). However, our limited understanding of how these virulence factors are regulated is a major obstacle in the field, and studies exploring how these pathogens coordinate expression of virulence genes are desperately needed in general. Many Gram negative pathogens harbor large extrachromosomal plasmids encoding genes important for virulence and/or antimicrobial resistance, many of which belong to the IncF family of plasmids. Understanding how these plasmids are regulated and maintained is critical for addressing the threat posed by AR pathogens, and yet the underlying biology regulating many of these plasmids remains poorly understood. Using the Gram negative enteric pathogen Y. pseudotuberculosis as a model organism, the aim of this research is to broaden our understanding of how facultative pathogens like Yersinia regulate virulence gene expression at the level of virulence plasmid copy number (PCN) and plasmid maintenance. Y. pseudotuberculosis is closely related to Y. pestis, the causative agent of the plague. Both Y. pseudotuberculosis and Y. pestis harbor an IncFII, ~70kb virulence plasmid known as pYV that encodes a major Yersinia virulence factor known as the type III secretion system (T3SS). The T3SS is a specialized injectisome used by many species of Gram negative pathogens to inject effector proteins into the host cell cytosol, interfering with host innate immunity signaling pathways and ultimately dampening host defense mechanisms. Despite being critical for Yersinia virulence, expression of the T3SS is energetically costly and must be tightly controlled to achieve optimal fitness, and so expression and activity of the T3

With advances in mass spectrometry, there is increasing demand for more effective and adaptive approaches to systematically extract biological insights from glycomic and lipidomic data. This thesis explores the application of Markov modeling in understanding two key cellular processes, N-glycosylation and lipid biosynthesis.In Chapter 2, we demonstrate that a Markov model of N-glycosylation network successfully captures intricate glycosyltransferase interactions by reproducing a set of glycoprofiles from glycoengineered CHO cells producing erythropoietin (EPO). We further validate the model parsimony and accuracy by predicting the glycoprofiles of other glycoengineered drugs from the trained models and their wildtype glycoprofiles. The results attest to the model’s ability to learn glycosyltranferase activities and substrate specificities. To increase the impact of this approach, we also develop GlycoMME to allow broader access to this modeling pipeline, presenting a promising direction for rational glycoengineering. Chapter 3 extends the modeling approach to lipid biosynthesis, introducing the Lipid Synthesis Investigative Markov Model (LipidSIM). As a low-parameter, biologically interpretable framework, LipidSIM proves powerful in leveraging the interdependency in lipidomic data and extracts and quantifies perturbations to lipid biosynthesis reactions, generating hypotheses directly testable by transcriptomic data. This method is showcased in 5 different scenarios with 3 different lipidomic datasets, and the results substantiate LipidSIM as a valuable tool for extracting insights from high-dimensional lipidomic data of different types. In Chapter 4, a Taguchi design is used to systematically characterize the impact of 15 media supplements on potential cellular phenotypes for CHO cells, especially N-glycosylation. The analytical pipeline allows disentangling the impact of individual supplements at different concentration levels with minimal numbers of experimental

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are heterogenous myeloid populations that dictate the inflammatory tone of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Although TAMs pervade various types of solid tumors, immunotherapies targeting the recruitment or repolarization of TAMs have yielded little success in clinical trials, urging the discovery of novel mechanisms that control the immunosuppressive states of TAMs. As the metabolic landscape of the TME can restrict effector functions of immune cells, in this thesis research, we aimed to understand how specific metabolites, such as lipids, dictate the function of TAMs in cancer. First, we characterized the metabolic heterogeneity within TAM populations using bioinformatics and experimental approaches. Next, we established lipid accumulation as a hallmark of TAM dysfunction in solid tumors. Moreover, we dissected the role of scavenger receptor CD36 in dampening TAM’s anti-tumoral functions through binding to oxidized lipids in the TME. Lastly, we discussed some preliminary data on targeting cholesterol metabolic pathways in TAMs using genetic knockout models. In summary, our findings suggested that lipid metabolic pathways are critical regulators of TAM functions in cancer, providing rationale for therapeutically targeting lipid receptors or selected lipid metabolic processes to rejuvenate anti-tumor innate immunity.

The study of gene expression, the abundance of RNA transcripts in cells, has played a critical role in expanding knowledge of the molecular underpinnings of cancer and the ways in which treatments affect it. Because genes operate in interlinking pathways with nuanced and context-dependent behavior, deriving the phenotypic implication of changes in abundances of individual genes can be challenging. For this reason, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was developed. GSEA is a statistical method that quantifies the activation of pathways or processes as represented by a priori annotated gene sets and plays a critical role in constructing pathway-level understandings of cell states in diseases such as cancer. In the use of GSEA and the expansion of its companion database of gene sets, the Molecular Signatures Database (MSigDB), two challenges have emerged. First, some gene sets lack the properties of context-specificity and coordinate regulation, that is, not all their members be collectively more expressed in samples that have a specific phenotype to which the gene set should correspond. Second, the new technologies for measuring gene expression at single cell resolution yield data with different properties than the “bulk” gene expression data for which GSEA was initially developed. I will address the first challenge in Chapter 1, in which I propose a data-driven method for gene set refinement and show that this method yields new gene sets that are both more coordinately regulated and context-specific. I address the second challenge in Chapter 2, in which I present a characterization of the performance of the single sample version of GSEA (ssGSEA) in multiple datasets and propose adaptations which I will show produce enrichment scores that are more stable and certain in the single cell context. Finally, Chapter 3 is an application of gene set based pathway characterization to the problem of understanding the development of chemoresistance in ovarian cancer. Using a cel

Technological and scientific advances have allowed for a deeper understanding of human cancer and have led to rapid characterization and development of personalized treatments for many patients. Despite these advances, many tumors continue to develop resistance to their prescribed therapies. One mechanism of treatment resistance is through oncogene amplification on extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA). ecDNA are acentric, circular fragments of genomic DNA, which are prevalent in many of the most aggressive cancers and are associated with poor patient prognosis. Unfettered by the constraints of linear chromosomes, ecDNA leads to novel genomic interactions, highly heterogeneous tumors, and rapid tumor evolution. Here, we report a series of studies investigating the unique cell biology of ecDNA. Due to the lack of centromeres, ecDNA does not follow the laws of Mendelian inheritance and can, therefore, be inherited asymmetrically. Using orthogonal sequencing-based and live-cell imaging technologies, we witness the rapid development of copy number heterogeneity and the dynamic nature of ecDNA copy number. Through live-cell imaging and four-dimensional image analysis, we witness a single cell giving rise to a highly diverse population of cells after only three cell divisions. Additionally, we report that many cancers have amplification of multiple oncogenes on distinct ecDNA species. We show that this co-occurrence is, in part, due to intermolecular interactions that allow for their coordinated inheritance during cell division. Taken together, the series of studies presented herein offer novel insight into ecDNA biology and begin to explain the functional implications of ecDNA copy number heterogeneity and the ability of ecDNA-containing cells to rapidly adapt to their microenvironment. These data indicate that the unique biology of ecDNA allows for the maintenance of important intermolecular interactions while driving rapid development of intratumoral heterogeneity.

Biomolecular signaling networks enable cells to decode signals from their environment into the appropriate responses needed for survival and maintaining biological function. Using principles derived from these systems, synthetic approaches such as optogenetics were developed to grant users with precise control over cellular activity. Nonetheless, it remains challenging to engineer synthetic signaling systems towards predefined dynamic behaviors. In this work, we present a quantitative framework that integrates multi-objective optimization, dynamic modeling, and biosensor imaging to streamline the design and implementation of synthetic signaling networks in cells. First, we formulated a general signaling model and applied an evolutionary algorithm to derive a network design capable of decoding two distinct frequency modulated stimuli into separate response channels. Based on this design, we implemented an optogenetic circuit to control protein interactions in cells according to the blue light input pattern. To aid this process, dimerization-dependent fluorescent proteins were used to characterize and select optogenetic components with the required dynamic characteristics. Lastly, we applied our frequency decoder system to regulate downstream biological outputs such as gene transcription, antigen presentation, and antigen triggered CAR-T killing in mice. This framework provides an integrative approach for developing synthetic signaling systems that reduces reliance on trial-and-error.

Phytoplankton and bacteria play a crucial role in the maintenance and stability of aquatic ecosystems. Together, they facilitate nutrient cycling and gas exchange, supporting the nutritional needs of higher trophic-level species. Recent molecular biology advancements have highlighted species-specific associations between the two groups. In some cases, these associations are mutualistic, benefiting the algal host. In exchange for carbon, it was reported that specific bacteria can provide vitamins and hormones and increase the bioavailability of limited nutrients to their phytoplankton host. These exchanges aid in sustaining the algal host in stressful environmental conditions. This study uses omics tools and co-culture experiments to explore the associations between diatoms, a phytoplankton group with ecological and industrial significance, and their microbiome. We aimed to leverage the knowledge of phytoplankton-bacteria interactions to optimize the utilization of diatom in biotechnological applications in Chapters 1 and 2. Diatoms can accumulate valuable biomolecules that can be utilized in fuel and food industries if produced in high biomass and a cost-effective manner. This work focused on studying diatom-microbiome interactions in large-scale cultivations. In Chapter 1, We reported a significant role of cultivation conditions in shaping the microbial community and the presence of specific bacteria that can be candidates for microbiome manipulation efforts to increase biomass. In Chapter 2, we reported that microbiome manipulation could increase algal biomass and the cost-effectiveness of algal farming as a sustainable alternative to traditional food and energy sources.Further, Chapter 3 presents compelling evidence of the species-specific modulation and response of two diatom species to natural microbial communities, highlighting the benefits of the modulated microbiomes. The results of this study hold substantial promise for advancing our understanding of diato

The application of Reinforcement Learning (RL) in the field of protein design presents a novel approach to generating protein backbones that fit within an icosahedral structure, while also optimizing five critical structural scores of proteins. Central to this approach are developed two distinct Markov Decision Processes (MDPs), each employing a unique reward mechanism: one operates on a system of thresholds, while the other utilizes sigmoid functions. The study conducts a thorough comparison of these reward mechanisms to determine their effectiveness in guiding RL algorithms for protein design. The findings indicate that the threshold-based reward system outperforms the sigmoid-based system, leading to more desirable protein structures as per the defined scores. Significantly, the thesis examines the performance of AlphaZero agents in this context, comparing them to baseline Monte Carlo Tree Search agents. Results demonstrate that AlphaZero agents consistently achieve at least double the performance of Monte-Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) agents, showcasing their superior capability in top-down protein design task. Moreover, the research extends to evaluate AlphaZero agents optimized for side objectives, revealing promising outcomes. This exploration into multi-objective optimization using AlphaZero agents highlights their potential in more complex and nuanced aspects of protein engineering. This work not only underscores the effectiveness of RL in protein backbone generation but also opens up new possibilities for advanced RL applications in protein engineering, particularly in multi-faceted optimization scenarios., Tillämpningen av RL inom proteindesignområdet presenterar en ny metod för att generera proteinbackbones som passar in i en ikosaederstruktur, samtidigt som man optimerar fem kritiska strukturella poäng för proteiner. Centralt för denna metod är utvecklingen av två distinkta MDPs, som var och en använder en unik belöningsmekanism: en fungerar på ett system av tröskelvärden, medan den andra använder sigmoidfunktioner. I studien görs en grundlig jämförelse av dessa belöningsmekanismer för att fastställa deras effektivitet när det gäller att vägleda RL-algoritmer för proteindesign. Resultaten visar att det tröskelbaserade belöningssystemet överträffar det sigmoidbaserade systemet, vilket leder till mer önskvärda proteinstrukturer enligt de definierade poängen. Avhandlingen undersöker AlphaZero-agenternas prestanda i detta sammanhang och jämför dem med grundläggande Monte Carlo Tree Search-agenter. Resultaten visar att AlphaZero-agenter konsekvent uppnår minst dubbelt så hög prestanda som MCTS-agenter, vilket visar deras överlägsna förmåga i top-down-proteindesignuppgiften. Dessutom utvidgas forskningen till att utvärdera AlphaZero-agenter optimerade för sidomål, vilket avslöjar lovande resultat. Denna utforskning av flermålsoptimering med hjälp av AlphaZero-agenter belyser deras potential i mer komplexa och nyanserade aspekter av proteinteknik. Detta arbete understryker inte bara effektiviteten hos RL vid generering av proteinbackbones, utan öppnar också upp för nya möjligheter att utveckla

Procreation is often viewed as a joint undertaking where both parties depend on, and thus care about, the reproductive success of the other. This is however not always the case. Sexual antagonism occurs when males and females have different strategies for maximizing their fitness, leading to a “battle between the sexes”. Intralocus sexual conflict, IASC, involves sexual antagonism between different alleles at a specific locus, alleles that have opposite effects between the sexes. One potentially sexually antagonistic gene is Ugt36E1, a gene involved in the catalyzation of a conjugation reaction between different sugars from the donor uridine diphosphate (UDP) to many small, fat-soluble, often toxic exogenous or endogenous molecules. This makes them water soluble, after which they can be transported to various organs for elimination. The gene is thus very important for detoxification and for maintaining the homeostasis of the body’s cells. The purpose of the study is to investigate whether changes in the gene Ugt36E1 affect the fitness of female fruit flies in the form of an increased/decreased number of offspring. To accomplish this, female flies that had been modified using CRISPR/Cas9 to obtain two alternative alleles of the Ugt36E1 gene were collected and allowed to mate with wild-type males. The number of eggs and live offspring of the females were thereafter counted and analyzed. The study could not find a significant difference in the number of offspring between the alleles, which does not line up with previous studies. The gene is hypothesized to be important for both detoxification and homeostasis within the individual regardless of gender, and changes to this gene could therefore be thought to be harmful to both males and females, something that does not seem to agree with this study. Females also laid fewer eggs than expected across both groups. This could be the result of natural variation, but it could also indicate that something during the experiment a, Fortplantning ses ofta som ett gemensamt åtagande där båda parter är beroende av, och därför bryr sig om, den andras reproduktiva framgång. Detta är dock inte alltid fallet. Sexuell antagonism uppstår när hanar och honor har olika strategier för att maximera sin kondition, vilket leder till en "kamp mellan könen". Intralocus sexual conflict, IASC, innebär sexuell antagonism mellan olika alleler på ett specifikt lokus, alleler som har motsatta effekter mellan könen. En potentiellt sexuellt antagonistisk gen är Ugt36E1, en gen involverad i katalyseringen av en konjugationsreaktion mellan olika sockerarter från donatorn uridindifosfat (UDP) till många små, fettlösliga, ofta toxiska exogena eller endogena molekyler. Detta gör dem vattenlösliga, varefter de kan transporteras till olika organ för eliminering. Genen är alltså mycket viktig för avgiftning och för att upprätthålla homeostasen i kroppens celler. Syftet med studien är att undersöka om förändringar i genen Ugt36E1 påverkar konditionen hos fruktflugor i form av ett ökat/minskat antal avkommor. För att åstadkomma detta samlades bananflugehonor som hade modifierats med CRISPR/Cas9 för att erhålla två alternativa alleler av Ugt36E1-genen och fick para sig med hanar av vildtyp. Antalet ägg och levande avkommor från honorna räknades därefter och analyserades. Studien kunde inte hitta någon signifikant skillnad i antalet avkommor mellan allelerna, vilket inte stämmer överens med tidigare studier. Genen antas vara viktig för både avgiftning och homeostas inom individen oavsett kön, och förändringar av denna gen kan därför tänkas vara skadliga för både hanar och honor, något som inte verkar stämma överens med denna studie. Honor lade också färre ägg än förväntat i båda grupperna. Detta kan vara resultatet av naturlig variation, men det kan också tyda på att något under experimentet påverkade dem på ett sätt som minskade deras fruktsamhet. På grund av resultaten, och eftersom studien enbart fokuserade på den kvinnliga si

Elever i biologi 1 ska ges möjlighet att delta på fältstudier. Exkursioner, som är en typ av fältstudier, är viktiga för elevers lärande och intresse. Bland annat leder exkursioner till ökad förståelse för världen vi lever i, lärande på högre kognitiva nivåer, ökat abstrakt tänkande och är dessutom motivationshöjande. För att få reda på hur och i vilken utsträckning verksamma lärare använder sig av exkursioner skickades en enkätundersökning ut till gymnasielärare i biologi. Enkäten riktades mot lärare som genomför och inte genomför exkursioner. Lärarna fick även delta i ett arttest i syfte att undersöka om en korrelation mellan artkunskap och antal exkursioner som genomförs fanns. Fritextsvar analyserades genom kodning i olika svarskategorier. För att undersöka om det fanns ett samband mellan artkunskaper och antalet exkursioner gjordes en signifikansbedömning. Resultatet av undersökningen visar att majoriteten av svarande biologilärare genomför exkursioner i stor utsträckning. Antalet exkursioner en biologilärare gör i biologi 1 varierar mellan en och fler än fem exkursioner under ett läsår. Lärare upplever att eleverna lär sig mer ute i naturen på exkursion än om samma ämnesområde skulle läras ut i klassrummet. Generellt verkar exkursioner öka elevernas intresse och motivation. Något samband mellan antalet exkursioner och lärares artkunskap kunde inte identifieras. Ett svagt samband mellan lärares artkunskap och åsikten att lärares artkunskap är viktig när exkursioner genomförs kunde dock ses., Students in biology 1 in Sweden should be given the opportunity to participate in field studies. Excursions, a type of field study, are important for students’ learning and interest. For example, excursions lead to increased understanding for the world we live in, learning on higher cognitive levels, improved abstract thinking and is also a known factor for increased motivation among students. A questionnaire was sent out to high school biology teachers to understand how and in what ways excursions are used. The questionnaire was handed to teachers who carries out excursions as well as teachers who do not. The teachers also participated in a species test in the purpose of possibly identifying a correlation between species knowledge and number of excursions. Text answers were then analyzed by categorization. A test was performed to determine if the correlation was statistically significant. The study shows that a majority of asked teacher do carry out excursions to a high extent. The number of excursions usually performed varies between one and more than five a year. The participating teachers agree that excursions seem to lead to better learning than regular classroom lessons on the same topic. In general, excursions appear to improve interest and motivation among students. No correlation between species knowledge and the number of made excursions was discovered. However, a weak correlation between species knowledge and the opinion that a teachers species knowledge is important for excursions was found.

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a negative-sense virus that was first described in 1930 when it was isolated from sheep during an outbreak. In the last 25 years there has been a spread in the geographical range into the Middle East. The most susceptible animals are cattle, goats, sheep, and camels. The most overt symptom of livestock infection is that infected pregnant animals experience spontaneous abortion. Humans are susceptible as well and symptoms range from mild febrile illness to liver necrosis, blindness, hemorrhagic fever, and death. An important player in the cellular innate response to RVFV infections is the human protein, RIOK3. RIOK3 is a serine/threonine-protein kinase involved in the regulation of type I interferon (IFN)-dependent immune responses, which happens to play a crucial role in the innate responses to many viruses. RIOK3 has proven necessary in mounting the IFN antiviral response in epithelial cells post-infection with RVFV. Because RIOK3 is critical for responding to RVFV infection and other viruses of clinical or agricultural significance, it is of compelling interest to know how RIOK3 performs its antiviral functions. To gain insight into RIOK3’s function, we carried out a yeast-two hybrid (Y2H) experiment to discover novel protein-protein interactions with RIOK3. We identified the human protein Xpo2 as a candidate interactor in the Y2H screen and then subjected it to siRNA knockdown to assess its role in the cellular antiviral response. Trogocytosis, dynamic process of cell-to-cell communication, significantly influences immune response, development and disease. A newly published study has even shown red blood cells (RBCs) as capable of conducting trogocytosis, which has significant clinical impacts. Researchers continue to explore the multifaceted nature, seeing novel therapeutic insights. In this study, we aimed to enhance trogocytosis potential in non-polarized TCR-transgenic CD4+ T cells. We evaluated various commercial antibody me

The COP9 signalosome is a highly conserved eukaryotic complex regulating protein degradation via deneddylation of Cullin-RING E3 ligases. CSN5, the COP9’s fifth component, contains the catalytically active domain for CSN deneddylation. The complex is inactive without CSN5; however, CSN5 engages in COP9-independent binding with several other proteins, typically promoting either destruction or stabilization of its partners. Many of its confirmed interaction partners are also implicated in tumorigenesis (prominent examples being p27 and p53) and a complex cancer interactome has been established for CSN5. Additionally, CSN5 overexpression has been documented in a staggering array of cancers of diverse origins. This discovery has led to the suggestion that its dysregulation may drive tumor formation and has increased interest in it for cancer therapeutics. However, while upregulation has been documented, it has not been confirmed whether tumorigenesis is indeed secondary to CSN5 overexpression. In this study, we use the germline of the well characterized model organism, C. elegans, to demonstrate that CSN-5 overexpression produces synthetic tumorigenesis as well as stem and progenitor cell population growth in select developmental contexts. Additionally, we establish CSN-5 as a conserved tumor biomarker across species and find that mutant csn-5 cannot prevent germline tumor formation, and in some cases increases it. Altogether, we suggest caution in pursuing CSN5 inhibition as a therapeutic without significant advances in understanding CSN5 mechanisms and regulation.

This thesis research presents an analysis of barred owl nest site selection in an understudied region of their expanded range. The barred owl has dramatically expanded its range westwards over the last 150 years, prompting multiple conflicting reinterpretations of their species account. Hypotheses of range expansion are reviewed to provide context for this study’s research. This study gathers empirical data on nest site selection in the mixed conifer forests of Montana’s Seeley-Swan and Mission Valleys. Eight barred owl nests were located following extensive territory surveys. Field measurements of tree height and diameter using USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plot design were conducted around each nest and compared statistically to unoccupied FIA plots located in the study area. Additional, coarser scales of analysis were also assessed via raster GIS analysis of USFS Tree Canopy Cover (TCC) data and NASA Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) tree height LiDAR data. Findings from all of these comparisons indicate barred owls are selecting nest trees in stands (possibly around an acre) with above-average tree size and canopy cover, as well selecting nests within a larger forest matrix (100 m+) with above-average canopy cover. These findings align with the traditional understanding that they prefer contiguous, mature forests. However, nest stand values did not greatly exceed random stand values (e.g. mean nest stand height = 18.8m, mean FIA control plot height = 17.2m), which aligns with the growing consensus that the species is more adaptable than traditionally assumed.

This document is meant to act as a guide to understanding Bison reintroduction on the Blackfeet reservation and serve as a resource for bison management. This report and plan will: 1) review bison ecology and the history of reintroduction efforts on the reservation; 2) identify potential issues and barriers to successful reintroduction; 3) present a summary of current land policies and patterns of land use on the reservation; and 4) provide recommendations for dealing with those potential issues. Recommendations will be based on analyses of previous knowledge of bison and bison behavior.

Pharmaceutical compounds are emerging contaminants of concern, which can elicit sub-lethal effects to non-target organisms and present a human health risk via the contamination of drinking water. Exacerbated by their increased consumption and poor removal rates from wastewater treatment plants, pharmaceutical compounds have been classified as pseudo-persistent in the aquatic environment, and their monitoring is imperative. It is now widely accepted that conventional methods of monitoring are inadequate, and the implementation of novel holistic approaches which provide biological data, identify mechanisms of toxicity as well as predict pollution are essential to safeguard the environment from pollutants including pharmaceuticals. Employing the sentinel species Daphnia magna and integrating holistic techniques such as metabolomics and biochemical markers, the molecular responses to individual pharmaceuticals or complex mixtures was explored in the concept of daphnids acting as the “canary in the coal mine” within the aquatic environment. Specifically, the effects of oestrogens, antibiotics, environmentally relevant drugs (anticonvulsants, NSAIDs, lipid regulators, antidiabetics) and a pharmaceutical mixture were assessed through acute, chronic and in some instances transgenerational exposures, endpoints ranged from phenotypic i.e. mortality, enzyme, reproduction, size to molecular i.e enzyme activity and metabolomics. Exposure to oestrogens revealed impaired enzyme activity, distinct differences in the polar metabolic profile, as well as decreased protein content and size of daphnids, while antibiotic exposure showed altered enzyme activity, the upregulation of hydrophilic metabolites following acute exposure, and a trend to downregulate the metabolites of central metabolism following transgenerational exposure. This contrasts with the environmentally relevant drugs which mostly upregulated the intermediates of central metabolism and polar metabolites. To assess the s

Explorations of extraterrestrial landscapes, primarily aimed at discerning evidence of past life and potential life-sustaining conditions, currently rely on highly specialized techniques to detect specific biomolecular signatures. Such intricate methods, which involve complex automated analytical platforms, often result in escalating mission costs and increased susceptibility to failures, including mechanical breakdowns, crash landings, vehicle losses during launch, communication breakdowns, and instrument malfunctions. There is, therefore, a growing imperative for the development of streamlined, highly specific, and definitive assays involving minimal procedural steps to bolster exploratory tests' effectiveness and mitigate associated risks. This thesis introduces a set of solutions designed to address these challenges: single step, ultrasensitive assays capable of detecting biomolecular indicators of life in Martian soil simulants. These assays are fine-tuned to identify an array of life signals, encompassing proteins, nucleic acids (with an emphasis on DNA), microorganisms, and metabolites such as lipids and reduced thiols. The assays' functionality and effectiveness have been verified using clays and JSC Mars-1A Martian Regolith Simulant, a simulated Martian soil sample that mimics the Martian environment. The primary objective of this study is to augment existing detection methodologies, thereby enhancing sensitivity and simplifying assay procedures, rendering them more suitable for incorporation into space exploration missions. The findings underscore the assays' proficiency in detecting and quantifying low levels of biomolecules. These ultrasensitive assays, therefore, have the potential to significantly boost our capacity to discover life on other planets, such as Mars, and expand our understanding of life's origins within the cosmos.

Hormonal cycles play an essential role in the development and maturation of young boys and girls into men and women. As teenagers enter their late teens and early twenties, their hormonal cycles are primarily responsible for functions related to fertility and hormone production. During this period of time, these men and women are often in their collegiate years. Overall, the college experience is enjoyable for many students, but it can also be a very stressful time due to a difficult class load and the students’ need to balance their academic, social, and personal lives. Recent studies have analyzed the effects that hormonal cycles and stress levels have on college students. However, it is important to note the differences between genders. The education system is often divided into daily and seasonal sections, with the average school day occurring daily and semesters occurring somewhat seasonally. With this knowledge, it is evident that the college experience aligns with the male hormonal cycle. Nothing about the education system caters to the monthly hormonal cycle of females. As a result, I conducted a study to determine if there is an impact of reading comprehension and mood on academic productivity in female college students. My results demonstrated that there was no difference in reading comprehension or mood levels based on phase of the female hormonal cycle and stress. Even though I did not find any statistically significant results, it is still important to consider how to level the playing field. Therefore, I propose methods, such as exercising, increasing Vitamin D intake, and practicing methods of mindfulness, that women can utilize in their daily lives to accommodate for hormonal fluctuations.

I grew up contemplating the concept of life. From my Catholic grandmother to my pediatrician mother, I always received mixed perspectives on the hot topics of abortions, vaccines, and embryo use. I found that the controversy lies in an ambiguous, mixed understanding of what constitutes a human life. From biochemical approaches to extraterrestrial life forms and spirituality there is no clear, coherent all-encompassing definition of life. However, that does not mean we can merely agree to disagree. The concept of a human life has drastic implications on our everyday lives. An insufficient definition has, and will continue to, diminish quality of life and shorten our life spans. If we cannot define a human life we can not justify vaccines, drug development, and disputes over bodily autonomy regarding a fetus. We have (and will continue to) experience the recirculation of previously extinguished diseases. Drugs necessary to help facilitate bodily processes necessary for patients to live can be banned based on their use of embryos. Female reproductive tracts may be more regulated based on various versions of timelines regarding a human life. Furthermore, the inconclusive understanding of what constitutes a human life fuels controversy and leads to social divide within our political sphere. There is no all encompassing, all-pleasing definition of life, but we must find one. A lack of a clear and coherent definition has and will continue to diminish the very quality and length of our lives.

A discussion with Michael Marder, Špela Petrič, Protektorama toxica and Simon Speiser centers around the concept of anthropoforming as proposed by Helen Hester addressing questions of human and non-human co-evolutionary potentialities as directed by human innovation and imagination. Presented in August 2023 in Cukrarna, Ljubljana as part of ARIA (Algo-Rhythmic Ideation Assembly), a summer school designed as a role-playing game developed for More-Than-Planet project and produced by Projekt Atol., https://www.librarystack.org/aria-transmission-anthropoforming-for-a-weird-planet/?ref=unknown